Admissions Requirements

Because of the professional integration of the paralegal's work with the work of the lawyer, the U.S.Department of Labor found that paralegal responsibilities require general education development that is similar to that of the lawyer, particularly in reasoning, mathematics, and language.

Thus, in order to prepare MCC's professional-level paralegal, acceptance into this certificate program requires either

A Bachelor's degree, or

An Associate's degree with 18 credit hours in broadly based liberal arts courses and significant experience in banking, finance, government, insurance, or other law-related environments.

An individual with a Bachelor’s degree can matriculate directly into the program through the MCC Admissions Office. If you have an Associate’s degree and work experience in a law-related field, you will need to complete a three-step process:

First you need to apply to MCC Admissions;

Second, you need to fill out an Information and Department Recommendation Form; and,

Third, set up an interview with the Program Director, Elizabeth Clifford. If you are currently enrolled in a program here at MCC, please contact the Admissions Office for information on how to proceed.

To set up the personal interview, you may call Prof. Clifford at 585-262-1769 or e-mail her at eclifford@monroecc.edu . The completed Recommendation Form and a copy of your college transcript should be brought to the interview.

As a condition of acceptance into the Paralegal Studies Certificate Program, those with minimal computer experience may be advised to register for CRC 101 Practical Computer Literacy either prior to or concurrently with matriculation in the Paralegal Studies Certificate Program. The Paralegal Advisory Board approved MCC's selective admissions criteria. All College assessments must be satisfied prior to acceptance to the Program.